UP and Ateneo Profs Call for the Passage of the RH Bill
In a statement released yesterday, over 200 faculty from the Ateneo de Manila University and the
University of the Philippines expressed their support for HB 4244 more commonly known as the
“Reproductive Health Bill”. They also called for its immediate passage.
The signatories of the statement come from various UP campuses and faculty from Ateneo and its
professional schools. They come from a wide range of academic disciplines and all levels of the
academe from young instructors to professors emeriti (a degree given to retired professors to recognize
their integrity and expertise). Other signatories have held or are holding high academic posts such as
deans, directors, and chairpersons. Several signatories have served in notable government positions.
Others are well-known public intellectuals.
In their statement the professors put their expert opinion behind the RH bill. “Our studied and collective
opinion is that House Bill 4244 is a vital piece of legislation.
Its passage will mandate policies which will save women’s and men’s lives, improve infant
survival, enhance young people’s health and well-being, and enable couples and individuals to
make responsible decisions in planning their families. We also endorse this bill as a necessary
element to achieve the goals of social equity, poverty reduction, and national development. There
is overwhelming scientific evidence that these goals can be achieved without resorting to
population control.”
As academics and scientists, they also decried the misuse of science by those who oppose the bill.
They raised added concerns “over reports that teachers offer incentives, such as bonus points, for
students to make anti-RH statements or engage in anti-RH activities.” The group denounced this practice
as an abuse on the part of the teacher “regardless of whether the teacher is for or against the RH bill.”
Prof. Marita Castro Guevara of ADMU recalls that, “it started as a very small initiative by a group of us
who were just having coffee together. We realized we had common concerns as scholars who had been
involved in the debates. We were amazed at the response from our colleagues. It took us less than a week
to gather the signatures.”
Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio of UP adds, “signatures have come in even after the release of our statement.
Colleagues from other universities and colleges are also saying we should not have confined ourselves to
UP and Ateneo. So, we are planning to collect more signatures in the coming weeks. We will send copies
to our pro-RH legislators as our statement is in support of their efforts.”
In a statement released yesterday, over 200 faculty from the Ateneo de Manila University and the
University of the Philippines expressed their support for HB 4244 more commonly known as the
“Reproductive Health Bill”. They also called for its immediate passage.
The signatories of the statement come from various UP campuses and faculty from Ateneo and its
professional schools. They come from a wide range of academic disciplines and all levels of the
academe from young instructors to professors emeriti (a degree given to retired professors to recognize
their integrity and expertise). Other signatories have held or are holding high academic posts such as
deans, directors, and chairpersons. Several signatories have served in notable government positions.
Others are well-known public intellectuals.
In their statement the professors put their expert opinion behind the RH bill. “Our studied and collective
opinion is that House Bill 4244 is a vital piece of legislation.
Its passage will mandate policies which will save women’s and men’s lives, improve infant
survival, enhance young people’s health and well-being, and enable couples and individuals to
make responsible decisions in planning their families. We also endorse this bill as a necessary
element to achieve the goals of social equity, poverty reduction, and national development. There
is overwhelming scientific evidence that these goals can be achieved without resorting to
population control.”
As academics and scientists, they also decried the misuse of science by those who oppose the bill.
They raised added concerns “over reports that teachers offer incentives, such as bonus points, for
students to make anti-RH statements or engage in anti-RH activities.” The group denounced this practice
as an abuse on the part of the teacher “regardless of whether the teacher is for or against the RH bill.”
Prof. Marita Castro Guevara of ADMU recalls that, “it started as a very small initiative by a group of us
who were just having coffee together. We realized we had common concerns as scholars who had been
involved in the debates. We were amazed at the response from our colleagues. It took us less than a week
to gather the signatures.”
Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio of UP adds, “signatures have come in even after the release of our statement.
Colleagues from other universities and colleges are also saying we should not have confined ourselves to
UP and Ateneo. So, we are planning to collect more signatures in the coming weeks. We will send copies
to our pro-RH legislators as our statement is in support of their efforts.”
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